Month: December 2005

“LONDON – Scientists have discovered how cancer spreads from a primary site to other places in the body in a finding that could open doors for new ways of treating and preventing advanced disease.

“Instead of a cell just breaking off from a tumor and traveling through the bloodstream to another organ where it forms a secondary tumour, or metastasis, researchers in the United States have shown that the cancer sends out envoys to prepare the new site.

“Intercepting those envoys, or blocking their action with drugs, might help to prevent the spread of cancer or to treat it in patients in which it has already occurred.”

“Joystiq is reporting that despite the buzz surrounding defective Xbox 360s, Microsoft claims that only 3% of the units sold have been faulty, which is below the industry average. Assuming that Microsoft’s numbers are accurate, it would seem that all the online drama about melting boxs and deadly error messages can likely be attributed to the fact that early adopters tend to be outspoken in forums and don’t represent the general public.

In other 360 news, analyst P.J. McNealy speculates that between 300,000 and 400,000 of the consoles have been sold so far, and MS would have ‘sold another million if they could have. They just don’t have them.’ So to wrap things up, the 360 probably works right, but it’s a moot point ’cause the only way you’ll get to play one is at Wal-Mart.”

“What was supposed to be a simple implosion turned out to be a bit of a blunder. The Zip Feed Mill destruction is not over.

“The building is still standing after a scheduled set of blasts on the east part of the structure failed to topple the structure. The building tilted to the east and dropped about thirty feet before stopping where it sits now.

“Higinbotham designed the game as entertainment for visitors’ days at BNL (Brookhaven National Laboratory). In the 1950s, most of the exhibits were static displays. Higinbotham, who was then head of the Instrumentation Division, said it occurred to him that ‘it might liven up the place to have a game that people could play, and which would convey the message that our scientific endeavors have relevance for society.’

“The division had a small analogue computer that contained ten direct-connected operational amplifiers. The computer’s instruction book described how to generate various curves on the cathode-ray tube of an oscilloscope, using resistors, capacitors and relays. Among the examples were the trajectory of a bullet subject to gravity and wind resistance, missile trajectories and a bouncing ball. The bouncing ball inspired Higinbotham to design a tennis game. Four of the operational amplifiers were used to generate the ball motions and the others to sense when the ball hit the ground or the net, and to switch the controls to the person in whose court the ball was located.